Neck closing smock or gown

ABSTRACT

A BACK-OPENING SMOCK OR GOWN WHICH MAY BE WORNN AS A PROTECTIVE GARMENT GENERALLY BUT WHICH IS PARTICULARLY USEFUL AS A HOSPITAL GOWN FOR PATIENT EXAMINATION, AS A NURSE&#39;&#39;S GOWN, A DOCTOR&#39;&#39;S SMOCK, OR AS A SURGEON&#39;&#39;S OPERATIVE GOWN. A FEATURE IS AN OVERLAPPING NECK CLOSURE IN WHICH TWO OR MORE PROJECTING STUDS ENGAGE FEMALE ELEMENTS TO CLOSE THE GOWN OPENING. THE STUDS, FASTENED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE OVERLAP AT THE NECK, READILY MATE BY PROJECTING PARTIALLY THROUGH AN EQUAL NUMBER OF A SERIES OF FEMALE ELEMENTS IN THE OVELYING PORTION OF THE GOWN OPENING AT THE NECK. THE CLOSURE PERMITS ADJUSTMENT OF THE NECK SIZE AND WIDTH OF THE OPENING OVERLAP.

United States Patent Taylor 14 1 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] NECK CLOSING SMOCK OR GOWN 1,239,563 9/1917 Cipra ..2/l4l R Inventor: Glenn N y Barrington Stephenson I [73] Assignee: The Kendall Company, Walpole, PrimaryExaminer-Patrick D. Lawson Mass. Attorney-Robert D. Chodera [22] F1led: Nov. 16, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT v [2]] Appl' 89966 A back-opening smock or gown which may be worn as a protective garment generally but which is panicu- [52] US. Cl ..2/114 ly useful as a pi g forpationt examination, [51] Int. Cl. ..A4lb 9/00 as a nursos gown, a doctors smock, or as a surgoons [58] Field of Search ..2/114, 110, 141 R, 76, 12s; operative o A feature is an o d pp neck 24/91, 104 203 sure in wh1ch two or more pro ectmg studs engage female elements to close the gown opening. The studs, [56] References Cited fastened to the underside of the overlap at the neck, readily mate by projecting partially through an equal UNITED STATES PATENTS I number of a series of female elements in the overlying portion of the gown opening at the neck. The closure gig permits adjustment of the neck size and width of the 1 1,222,777 4/1917 Lowe ..2/76 opemng 1,771,101 7/ 1930 Rubinstein ..2/14l R 11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 16 12 i6 15 a l I I r'l'lmm 1 715W m u 1. "j w 7* I 1 i3 11; 111 13 11 i 13 NECK CLOSING SMOCK OR GOWN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Gowns or smocks with back openingsare well known and have definite advantages in thattheyhave no front flap to gape open or catch on projecting items against which the wearer may brush. But back-opening gowns and smocks have disadvantages, particularly with regard to convenience and ease of closing the'back opening. Any fastening below the neck is difficult for the wearer to manage. A single neck stud is not effective as a closure because the stud acts as a pivot about which the normally overlapping gown portions adjacent .the opening rotate, causing the gown to. gape open. This gaping of the opening isunsightly in any gown, but it is particularly undesirable in hospital examination gowns. It is also undesirable .from a sterility standpointin nurses and surgeons sterile gowns because clothing worn under the gown is not sterile. This problem is recognized with respect to hospital gowns.

Currently used disposable hospital gowns have mating transverse bands of stiff nylon pile hooks and loops which are attached to the underlying and overlying por- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A major object of this invention is :the provision of a back-opening gown or smock with a plurality of relatively rigid male elements which make their ownfemale engaging elements in situ or mate with previously provided simple female elements such asone or intersecting score lines or slits or open slots and holes to restrain the overlapping gown opening closure from gaping A further object of the invention is the provision of a back-opening gown or smock with simple closure means which permit adjustment of the neck opening and the closure overlap.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a back-opening gown which resists opening gape in each of several positions when male and female elementsyare engaged.

The objects of this invention may be obtained in the most simple embodiment by providing two or more projecting male closure elements of any of various substantially rigid materials such as plastics, metals, bone, ivory, glass, wood and the like, fastened to the gown in a line extending generally transversely from the edge of the gown opening preferably along the neck opening. In this embodiment the ends of the male elements are preferably somewhat pointed to aid their penetration of the overlying fabric and the formation in situ of the female elem'ents in the opposite edge of the gown opening. The gown is thus secured by the male elements, with its opening edges in overlapping relationship to provide a closure. The transverse line of the male elements tends to'resist opening gape. In this embodiment when the gown is adjusted with the neck opening and overlap desired, the closure is fastened by forcing the male element through the overlying fabric. Obviously, the range of possible overlap widths may be varied in thegownpattern.

While the embodiment of the invention just described provides the widestchoice of neck sizesand overlap, gowns with preformed female elements-in the form of scores, slits, cuts, slots or holes, may be preferred bymany. Obviously, a set of female elements matching the male elements must be provided. Thus if two male elements are utilized, the female elements shouldbe arranged in pairs, the individual femaleelements of each pair being the same distance apart as the male elements. Single source lines or perforated lines form adequate female elements, but more readily opened female elements maybe provided by two or more intersecting score lines orperforated lines. Still more readily opened female elements may be ,provided by single slits or intersecting slits. Holes of various shapes and sizes are also very easilypenetrated by the rigid male elements. In general, it is preferred to have the male element somewhat enlarge the female element as it .projects through, since in that way the two overlapping edges of fabric are retained more securely in place.

The fabric ofthe gowns or smocks of thisinvention is not critical. Any sheetlike material such-as paper, nonwoven cloth, woven, knitted and crosslaid cloth, perforate and imperforate films, breathable sheetlike accretions, laminatesof paper and film and the like, are suitable. 4

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. fl illustrates aback view of a typical gown of the invention embodying the neck closure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional viewof the neck closure of FIG. -1 showing a series of female elements,

two of which are engaged bymale fastening elements.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of a series of suitable female fastening elements.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view partly in section, showing a series .of suitable male fastening elements attached to gown fabric at theneck.

Referring once more to'the drawings: In FIG. 1 the gown l-0rhas aback opening extending the length thereof with the edge portion of panel 11 on one side of the opening, overlying the edge portion of panel 12 on the other side of theopening. Two male elements 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 attached to .the underlying edge of panel 12 are engaged and projecting through two female elements 13 of a series of such female elements which in the illustrated embodiment are round punched holes. The engaged male and female fastening elements tend to resist movement of the panels 11 and 12 to the extent that the underlying edge 15 tends to remain covered, thus minimizing opening gape.

While in some embodiments the female elements 0 the closure are formed in situ anywhere the male elements are forced through the gown fabric, FIG. 3 illustrates a series of typical preformed female elements 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13f, 13g, and 13h. Element 13 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Other hole type female elements which are suitable when properly spaced and situated are the horizontal oval 13f, the vertical oval 133, and the horizontal keyhole 13h. Less easily penetrated female elements, although suitable and in some cases preferred, are those involving a vertical or a horizontal score, perforated line or slit such as 13a and 13d, and combinations of two or more intersecting scores, perforated lines or slits such as 13b and 130.

FIG. 4 illustrates a suitable variety of typical male closure elements 14, 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d. Element 14 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Where the male element is to be used to form a mating female element in situ as it pierces through the overlying fabric of the closure, a fairly acutely pointed male element such as 14a is preferred although any of the typical male elements illustrated may be made more pointed. Where the female elements are preformed holes, a less pointed male element may be preferred. In FIG. .4 the male element 14a is preferably formed of metal of such malleability as to be capable of being bent over after partial penetration of the female element or the overlying fabric itself. The base 16a of this male element may be 'a single layer like a large tack as shown, or it may be a single layer or a double layer die stamped from a flat sheet and bent so that the member 14a projects vertically. The male member 14b, a mushroom type with an inclined stem and a base 16b is preferably of molded plastic. Another inclined-stem male element 14c with a base 160 is also preferably of molded plastic. Inclinedstem male elements should preferably be inclined to point toward the edge 15. The arrowhead shaped male element 14d with the base 16d is also preferably of molded plastic. The male elements of the invention are preferably fastened to the gown fabric with well known hot melt adhesives, but heat sealing or other methods of fastening them to the fabric may be utilized if desired.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the invention is a disposable surgeons gown made of a laminate of nonwoven fabric and woven scrim. The form of the gown is as shown in FIG. 1 with two male elements similar to element 14 fastened about I k inches apart, the opening edge being about 2% inches from the nearest male element. The male element head is slightly larger than the round holes forming the female elements, even numbered holes and odd numbered holes being the same respective distance apart as the male elements.

I claim:

1. A smock or gown having a back opening, marginal portions of said gown adjacent the opening edges when disposed in overlapping relationship closing said back opening, at least two separated, substantially rigid, outwardly projecting male elements, attached at the neck to the underlying portion of said marginal portions and aligned transversely of the edge thereof, said male elements being so adapted readily to be projected through the fabric of the overlying portion of said'marginal portions to engage the overlying portion and fasten the marginal portions in overlapping relationship.

2. The smock or gown of claim 1 wherein the male elements project through preformed mating female elements in. said overlying portion of said marginal porl The smock or gown of claim 2 wherein the male elements optionally readily project through two or more sets of female elements to provide a choice of neck size and opening overlap width.

4. The smock or gown of claim 2 wherein the female elements are shaped holes.

5. The smock or gown of claim 2 wherein the female elements each include at least one slit.

6. The smock or gown of claim 2 wherein the male elements open the female elements in projecting therethrough.

7. The smock or gown of claim 2 wherein the male element has a portion first projecting through the female element which is smaller in cross section than a male portion which subsequently projects through the female element.

8. The smock or gown of claim 2 wherein the male elements make acute angles with underlying edge portion of said gown, the acute angles pointing toward the back opening thereof.

9. The smock or gown of claim 1 wherein the male elements each comprise at least one vertically projecting member which is malleable.

10. The smock or gown of claim 1 wherein the male element is a geometric solid having a reduced cross section at the base thereof.

11. The smock or gown of claim 1 further characterized as a disposable surgical and nursing gown. 

